Illuminated sign



June 25, 1968 A. R. ANGlER ILLUMINATED SIGN 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1966 INVENTOR. NE/Ef? E. ANG/EE TTOIVEVS'.

June 25, 1968 A. R. ANGu-:R

ILLUMINATED SIGN 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 7, 1966 ,Zi/IG.- 4.

INVENTOR. ANG/EE l?. #IVG/El? June 25, 1968 A. R. ANGIER 3,390,259V Q y ILLUMINATED SIGN Arrow/5K5'.

United States Patent O 3,390,259 ILLUMINATED SIGN Augier R. Augier, Santa Ana, Calif., assigner to S. Marshall Youngman Filed Feb. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 525,472 16 Ciaims, (Cl. 2401l.2)

ABSTRACT GF THE DISCLGSURE An illuminated outdoor sign consisting of a cabinet having a plurality of sides connected together to frame at least one display panel and enclosure electrical means for supplying power and illuminating the panel. The cabinet includes a central frame member with an outwardly opening raceway extending along its length. An elongated skirt having a face flange framing an edge of the panel and a side flange extending across the panel edge is supported from the central member. The side flange terminates adjacent the central member to leave the raceway exposed so that the conductors of the electrical means which are housed in the raceway are readily accessible. A removable plate covers the raceway to protect the lamps and conductor from the weather. The skirt also has an elongated outwardly opening trench formed at its central edge interior of one longitudinal edge of the cover plate. Moisture which enters between the cover plate and the skirts is channelled to the bottom side of the cabinet where it escapes from the trench exterior of the cabinet.

This invention relates to outdoor signs, and, more particularly, to illuminated outdoor signs which are framed by an extruded cabinet.

Illuminated signs, such as are commonly used for outdoor advertising and traffic control, often have one or two translucent plastic display panels framed in a cabinet. Fluorescent lamps inside the cabinet shine through the panels to illuminate the display.

This invention provides an improved illuminated outdoor sign which can be shipped in a compact disassembled form, and yet be easily and quickly assembled on the job site. The elements of the sign are easy to manufacture and are of only a few different shapes, yet the same standard parts are adaptable to constructing signs of any size. The assembled sign is attractive and designed to withstand years of use under varying and extreme weather conditions. Moreover, the lights, electrical wiring, and ballast are easily accessible so that they may be inexpensively replaced.

Generally, an outdoor sign constructed in accordance with this invention includes a cabinet having a plurality of sides connected together to frame at least one display panel and enclose electrical means for supplying power and illuminating the panel. At least one side of the cabinet includes a central frame member with an outwardly opening raceway extending along its length. An elongate skirt which is supported from the central member has a face flange framing an edge of the panel and a side ange extending across the panel edge. The side flange terminates adjacent the central member to leave the raceway exposed so that the conductors of the electrical means which are housed in the raceway are readily accessible. A removable plate covers the raceway to protect the lamps and conductor from the weather. Preferably, the cabinet is constructed of aluminum because it is easily extruded and, in addition, has advantages with respect to low weight, attractive appearance, and weather resistance.

In an exemplary embodiment each skirt has an elongate outwardly opening trench formed at its central edge interior of one longitudinal edge of the cover plate. Moisture which enters between the cover plate and the skirts is "ice channelled to the bottom side of the cabinet where it escapes from the trench exterior of the cabinet. This trench construction eliminates the need for sealing gaskets.

Further, in accordance with this invention, the skirts and the central frame members are each of a particular configuration which lends itself to extrusion and simplifies assembly of the sign. For example, each skirt member has two elongate integral flanges disposed at an angle to each other and a moisture trench integral with an edge of one flange. An elongate leg plate extends from that same flange so that the display panel fits between the other flange and the leg plate. A screw groove extends all along the free longitudinal edge of the leg plate to receive selftapping screws for iixing a display panel spacer to the leg plate.

These and other features and objects of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of an outdoor sign constructed in accordance with this invention, with portions of the display panels removed for clarity;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken generally along line 2 2 of FIG. l showing the construction of the upper side of the cabinet assembly;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken generally along line 3 3 of FIG. l showing the construction of one upright side of the cabinet assembly;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, somewhat smaller in scale than lFIGS. 2 and 3, taken generally along line 4--4 of FIG. l to show the construction of the other upright side of the cabinet assembly;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the lower lefthand corner of the outdoor sign illustrated in FIG. l; and

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the cabinet illustrating the means for mounting the lights and for mounting the cabinet on the vertical support pole.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, an outdoor sign constructed in accordance with this invention includes front 2 and rear 4 rectangular, coextensive display panels disposed in spaced-apart parallel relationship and framed by a rectangular extruded cabinet 6. Fluorescent lamps 8 are mounted interior of the cabinet between the display panels to illuminate the display. By way of example, the cabinet is supported from the ground on a vertical support pole 10, although in many instances it will be preferable to support it from the Wall of a building.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 6, the upper 12 and lower 14 sides of the cabinet each include an identical elongate extruded central lamp spar member 16 of H-shaped cross-sectional configuration. Each lamp spar 16 has two spaced longitudinal flanges 18 parallel to the display panels and a longitudinal :horizontal web 20 connecting the anges 18 along a line intermediate their edges. The central web and the exterior portions of the ilanges define an outwardly opening generally U-shaped chan-nel or raceway 22. The outer edge portion 24 of each spar flange 18 is slightly `offset toward the cen-ter of the cabinet, but still parallel to the display panels.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, the upright sides 26, 2S of the cabinet each include an elongate extruded central ballast spar member 30. The two upright bal-last spar members 30 are identical to each other and differ from the horizontal central lamp spar members 16 only in that the web 32 is connected between the inner longitudinal edges 34 of the flanges 36 to define a deeper raceway 38.

As is illustrated most clearly in FIG. 5, the ends of the central spar members 16 and 30 are mitered at a 45 angle, and joined at a right angle. As the flanges .and Web of each of the four spar members are the same size, the

mitered flange ends abut and can be secured together by 3 heli-arc welds 40. The connection illustrated in FIG. 5 is typical for all four corners so that the four spars form a rectangle between the display panels. The raceway 22 of each lamp spar is in communication with the raceway 38 of each ballast spar at the corner to provide a continuous raceway around the periphery of the cabinet.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 24, each side of the continuo-us raceway is covered by an elongate fiat cover plate 42 which extends across and slightly beyond the outer edge portions 24 of the spar anges 18 and 36. A pair of resilient retaining legs 46 Which extend continuously along the length of the cover plate 42 depend into the raceway against the offset portions 24 of the spar flanges. A continuous longitudinal detent in each retaining leg 46 cooperates with .a continuous longit-udinal boss 48 on each of the anges to releasably hold the cover plate when it is snapped in place.

As is shown most clearly in FIGS. l, 2 and 6, the fluorescent lamps 8 are mounted at spaced points along the lamp spars 16 in sockets 50 which extend through pre-punched apertures in the lamp spar web 20. The sockets are fastened to the Webs in any suitable manner, such as by small spring biased clips 51 on the sockets. Pre-punched elliptical hand-holes 52 spaced along each lamp spar web adjacent each socket 50 permit servicing access to the lamps. Thus, the lamps may be inserted and removed lby pulling the cover plate 42 off and reaching through the hand-holes 52. One or more standard fluorescent light ballasts 54 are bolted on the exterior side of the web 32 on one or both of the ballast spars.

With particular reference to FIGS. 2-4, identical front and rear rectangular skirt assemblies frame the edges 56 of the front and rear panels respectively. Each skirt assembly is constructed of four identical elongate, extruded skirt members 58 -mitered at their ends 60 (see FIG. 5) and joined .at right angles. Each skirt member has a side flange 62 extending from the cover plate 42 across the adjacent edge of the display panel, and an angularly disposed face flange 64 extending along the face of the display panel. Two elongate lips 66, 68 extend inward from the interior side of the face flange 64 to abut the exterior face 70 of the display panel.

Referring particularly to FIG. 2, an elongate outwardly opening moisture trench 74 of generally U-shaped crosssectional configuration is formed at the central edge 72 of each skirt side flange 62 beneath the edge 75 of the cover plate 42. The moist-ure trench includes a pair of spaced side walls 76 and 78 generally perpendicular to the side flange 62 joined by a V-shaped bottom wall 80. One side wall 78 abuts the flange of the spar member. A lip 82 extending along the other side wall 76 of the trench supports the longitudinal edge 75 of the cover plate so that the cover plate is in a common plane with the side flanges 62. Any moisture which enters the crack 84 between the cover plate 42 and the skirt side flange 62 is trapped in the trench 74. As each trench is continuous around the cabinet periphery, the trapped moisture is channelled to the trench of the bottom side where it escapes exterior of the sign through the crack 84. Moisture running across the interior side of cover plate accumulates against an elongate drip ridge 86 and drops into the trench.

Now referring primarily to FIG. 3, an inwardly facing generally U-shaped member 88 formed on the interior side of the bottom wall 80 of each trench 74 defines an elongate tongue 96 and groove 90 extending all along each skirt member. A protrusion 92 extends from the fiange of each spar member yand together with the ange forms a `generally H-shaped cross-sectional configuration `having a tongue 94 and a -groove 95. The H-shaped protrusion and the U-shaped member 88 are nested with their tongues and grooves mutually engaged to ylocate and retain the skirt 58 with respect to the central frame.

An elongate leg plate 98 depends from the interior side of the side flange 62 parallel to the display panel and extends continuously along the length of each skirt member 58. Each leg has an elongate wall 100 formed at its free -or inner longitudinal edge to define a :longitudinal screw groove 102 extending along the length of the leg plate 98.

Each skirt member on three of the cabinet sides, i.e. the upper side, the lower side, and the left-hand upright side 28 (as viewed in FIG. l), has an elongate L-shaped spacer plate 104 fastened to the leg plate by self-tapping screws 106 extending through elongate slots 108 in the plate at spaced locations along its length (see FIGS. 1, 5 and 6). The long arm 110 of each spacer plate extends perpendicularly toward the display panel, Iand the shorter lleg 112 abuts the interior side of the display panel opposite the lip 66 so that the display panel is yheld in position between t'he lip 66 and the spacer 104. The elongate slots 108 permit adjustment for panels of various thickness. Also alternate slots are staggered with respect to their distance from the panel to increase the amount of adjustment available. On the same three sides a plurality of longitudinally spaced bracing tabs 114 are welded between the upper end of the leg plate 98 and the adjacent spar member flange 18 or 36 to attach each skirt to the central frame member. Spot welds 116 spaced along the length of the protrusion 92 also connect the skirt to the central frame.

The assembly of the other upright side 26 of the cabinet (the righ-hand side as viewed in FIG. 1) is somewhat different in that the skirt members 58 of that side are designed to be readily removable. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the only fastening means connecting the central frame member 30l and the skirts 58 is a plurality of longitudinally spaced self-tapping screws 118 extending through the bottom of the moisture trench 74 into the leg of the protrusion 92. Neither the spacer plate 104 nor the bracing tabs 114 are used in this upright side. Of course, rigidity is enhanced by the contact between the laterally olfset portion 24 of the central flange and the conforming trench wall 78, as well as by the tongues 94 and 96 and grooves 90 and 95. The removable skirts are further braced to the structure by self-tapping screws 120i extending through the ends of their side flange 62 (see FIG. 1) into longitudinal screw bores 122 (see FIG. 2) interior of the side flange of the horizontal skirt members. For this purpose, each of the skirt members has protrusions 124 extending all along its length partially defining a pair of longitudinal bores 122 for receiving the screws 120. Thus, each of these skirts may be removed by removing the exterior screws 120 at the end of the skirt and then removing the screws 118 interior of the moisture trench t-o free the skirt member after which the panel 2 or 4 may be slid out the end.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the support pole 10* extends through an opening (not shown) in the bottom cover plate 42 and one of the hand-holes 52 in the web of the bottom lamp spar member 16. The pole terminates adjacent the web 20 of the upper lamp spar member. A channel shaped bracket 126 which is bolted to the anges 18 of the bottom lamp spar member has an annular colla-r 128 which surrounds the support pole. Bolts 130 threaded through the side of the support collar engage the support pole to aflx the cabinet to it. A `similar collar bracket 126 connects the upper lamp spar member to the upper end of the pole.

As is shown in FIGS. l and 5, diagonal sway braces 132 are bolted at their ends to the cabinet structure at appropriate locations, and are tightened by turn buckles 134- intermediate their length to provide the desired rigidity.

The electrical conductors 136 for the lights extend up through the support pole and enter the peripheral raceway through a hand-hole in the lamp spar web at the top of the pole. The conductor extends around the raceway to the ballasts 54 and the lvarious lamps y8. Thus, by lvirtue of the raceway, the electrical means including the conductors, the ballast and the lamps are easily accessible.

Referring again to FIG. 1, an upright hollow divider box 138 extends between the webs of the lower and upper lamp spar members and is Welded to them. The interior of the box is in communication with the peripheral raceway through a hand-hole at each of its ends so that the box member can also be used as a raceway. Preferably, one side of the box is removable for access to the conductors within it.

The rather shallow raceway portion 22 in the lamp spars permits the use of standard size light fixtures with standard size display panels. With this con-struction, for example, a nominal six foot display panel can be used with a nominal six foot fluorescent lamp. The raceway portion 38 in the ballast spars, on the other hand, is relatively deep to accommodate a standard ballast.

Thus, it is apparent that the cabinet or -frame of the sign constructed in accordance with this invention is primarily constructed from elongate members of only four different shapesthe lamp spar 16, the ballast spar 30, the skirt 58, and the cover plate 4Z-plus a few connecting pieces and accessories. The four long members may be aluminum extrusions cut to whatever size is appropriate for the desired sign. This sign may be shipped disassembled, and either pre-cut to length or cut on the job site. In either event, it is easily and inexpensively installed on the job site.

In addition, the exterior appearance of the assembled sig-n is attractive, with smooth side surfaces and no screws or fasteners exposed except for the small screws 120 at the ends of the removable skirts.

I claim:

1. An outdoor sign having a cabinet which frames at least one panel and encloses electrical means for supplying power and illuminating the panel, the cabinet having a plurality of sides connected together to form a frame, at least one of said sides comprising:

(a) an elongate central member having an outwardly opening raceway formed therein and extending along its length to provide access to a portion of said electrical means;

(b) an elongate skirt having a face flange adjacent the exterior -face of the panel to frame an edge of the panel and a side flange extending across the edge of the panel and terminating adjacent the central member to leave the raceway exposed;

(c) a cover plate engageable with one of said elongate members for covering the open side of the raceway to enclose the electrical means, said cover plate being removable from the exterior of the sign without access to the interior and without affecting the panel framed by said skirt; and

(d) means connecting the skirt to the central member independently of said cover plate.

2. An outdoor sign in accordance with claim 1 wherein the raceway includes an interior wall substantially parallel to the skirt side flange, adapted to support a plurality of electric lamps on its interior side and having an access hole therethrough adjacent each lamp.

3. An outdoor sign having a cabinet circumscribing a pair of spaced parallel panels and enclosing electrical illuminati-ng means, said cabinet comprising:

(a) a central frame member disposed between the panels near the edges thereof, each side of the central frame member including first and second spacedapart flanges connected by a central web to define a continuous outwardly opening conductor raceway around the cabinet;

(b) front and rear skirt members each extending around the periphery of a respective panel, each side of each skirt member having a -face flange adjacent the exterior face of its associated panel to frame an edge of the panel and a side flange extending across the panel edge, each side flange terminating in spaced relationship from the adjacent side flange -of the other skirt member to leave the raceway exposed;

(c) plates covering the raceway exterior opening, said plates being removable from the exterior of the sign without access to the interior; and

(d) means connecting said skirt members to the frame member independently of said plates.

4. An outdoor sign in accordance with claim 3 wherein (a) said first and second spaced-apart flanges of the central assembly are of the same depth on all sides of the cabinet; and,

(b) said raceway is shallower on two opposite sides of the cabinet than on at least one of the other sides.

5. An outdoor sign in accordance with claim 4 wherein (a) the illuminating means include electric lamps supported on the Webs of said two opposite sides of the cabinet and a ballast supported on the web of `said one other side; and,

(b) the webs which support the electric lamps have hand-holes therethrough for access to the lamps.

6. An outdoor sign having a cabinet circumscribing a pair of spaced parallel panels and enclosing electrical illuminating means, said cabinet comprising:

(a) a central frame member disposed between the panels near the edges thereof, each side of the central frame member including first and second spacedapart flanges connected by a central web to define a continuous outwardly opening conductor raceway around the cabinet;

(b) front and rear skirt members each extending around the periphery of a respective panel, each side of each skirt member having a face flange adjacent the exterior face of its associated panel to frame an edge of the panel and a side flange extending across the panel edge, each side flange terminating in spaced relationship from the adjacent side flange of the other skirt member to leave the raceway exposed;

(c) means connecting said skirt members to the central frame member;

(d) removable plates covering the raceway exterior opening;

(e) means defining a continuous outwardly opening moisture trench extending around the periphery of the cabinet interior of each longitudinal edge of the removable cover plates to prevent moisture which enters between the cover plates and the skirts from entering the raceway and to guide the moisture to the bottom side of the cabinet; and

(f) means defining an opening in the bottom side of the cabinet for permitting moisture to escape from the trench exterior of the cabinet.

7. An outdoor sign in accordance with claim 6 wherein (a) the elongate outwardly opening trench is defined by walls of generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration integral with the central edge of each skirt member side flange; and, f

(b) the central edge of each skirt member side flange is adjacent a longitudinal edge of a removable cover plate.

8. An outdoor sign in accordance with claim 7 wherein the means connecting the front and rear skirt members to the central frame member on one side of the cabinet comprise a plurality of self-tapping screws extending through the elongate trench into the central frame.

9. An outdoor sign in accordance with claim 6 wherein (a) the skirt side flanges and removable plate on each side of the cabinet are substantially co-planar; and,

(b) each cover plate includes resilient legs continuous along its length extending into the raceway and cooperating with the spaced-apart flanges of the central assembly to releasably hold the cover plates on the cabinet.

10. For use in an outdoor sign having a display panel and electric illuminating means behind the panel, an elongate extruded skirt member for framing a panel edge comprising:

(a) first and second elongate flanges having a common longitudinal edge and defining an interior angle;

(b) an elongate leg plate coextensive in length with the first and scond flanges and extending from the interior side of the first flange, said leg plate being spaced from said second flange for receiving the dis play panel therebetween; and,

(c) means extending interior from the free longitudinal edge of the first flange defining an outwardly opening, longitudinal moisture trench.

11. For use in an outdoor sign having a display panel and electric light means behind the panel, an elongate extruded skirt member in accordance with claim 10 wherein (a) the leg plate has means at its free longitudinal edge defining a groove for receiving a self-tapping screw at any selected location along the length of the leg plate; and,

(b) the second flange has a lip extending from its interior side in line with the free longitudinal edge of the leg plate to abut one face of the display panel.

12. For use in an outdoor sign having a display panel and electric light means behind the panel, an elongate extruded skirt member for framing a panel edge in accordance with claim if) wherein (a) the means defining the moisture trench includes a first side wall depending inwardly from the free longitudinal edge of the first flange, a bottom wall of V-shaped cross section, and a second side wall substantially parallel to the first side wall and terminating inward from the plane of the first flange;

(b) the trench bottom wall has means on its interior side defining an elongate inwardly opening U-shaped groove;

(c) the first flange has means on its interior side defining a pair of bores extending along the length of the flange for receiving self-tapping screws; and,

(d) the second flange has a pair of lips extending from its interior side toward said leg plate to abut one face of the display panel.

13. For use in an outdoor sign having a display panel and electric light means behind the panel, an elongate extruded frame member comprising:

(a) an elongate channel member having first and second substantially parallel flanges joined by a central web;

(b) each of said flanges having a free longitudinal edge portion laterally offset toward the center of the channel member and substantially parallel to the major portion of the flanges;

(c) means defining a groove extending along the exterior side of each flange, said groove being disposed adjacent the offset portion and opening in the general direction of said free longitudinal edge; and

(d) an elongate skirt positioned outwardly from the channel including a tongue received in the groove for positioning the skirt relative to the channel.

14. For use in an outdoor sign having a display panel and electric light means behind the panel, an elongate extruded frame member comprising:

(a) an elongate channel member. having first and seeond substantially parallel flanges joined by a central web;

(b) each of said flanges having a free longitudinal edge portion laterally offset toward the center of the channel member and substantially parallel to the major portion of the flanges; l

(c) means defining a groove extending along the exterior side of each flange, said groove being disposed adjacent the offset portion and opening in the general direction of said free longitudinal edge;

(d) the web joins each flange intermediate the longitudinal edges of the flange to define an H-shape; and

(e) the web has a plurality of relatively small apertures spaced along its length for receiving electric lamp sockets and a plurality of relatively large apertures for access to lamps in the sockets.

15. An outdoor sign comprising:

(a) front and rear rectangular translucent panels disposed in spaced-apart parallel relationship;

(b) a rectangular central frame disposed between the panels and including two upright channel members and two horizontal channel members joined at their ends to define a continuous outwardly opening conductor raceway around the frame, the raceway defined by the upright channels being deeper than that dened by the horizontal sides, and the horizontal channels having alternate relatively large and relatively small apertures through which the raceway is in communication with the interior of the central frame;

(c) an elongate fiat cover plate extending across and laterally beyond the edges of each channel to cover the conductor raceway, the cover plate including a pair of resilient retaining legs extending continuously along its length and depending into the raceway, said retaining legs cooperating with the central frame to releasably hold the cover plate in place;

(d) a plurality of electric sockets fixed to the horizontal channels at the relatively small apertures;

(e) a plurality of lamps extending between the horizontal channels with their ends inserted in the sockets;

(f) identical front and rear skirt assemblies framing the edges of the front and rear panels respectively, each skirt assembly being constructed of four identical elongate extruded angle members, mitered at their ends and joined to form a rectangle, each of the angle members having an elongate outwardly opening moisture trench of generally U-shaped crosssectional configuration formed at one longitudinal edge interior of an edge of the cover plate, an elongate leg plate depending from the interior of each angle member generally parallel to the display panels and having means at its free edge defining a longitudinal screw groove extending along the length of the angle member and means defining a pair of longitudinal screw bores extending along the length of each angle member;

(g) three sides of each skirt assembly including an elongate spacer plate screwed to the free edge of the leg plate and abutting the display panel, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced bracing tabs welded between the leg plate and the central frame assembly;

(h) the fourth side of each skirt assembly including a plurality of longitudinally spaced screws extending through the bottom of the moisturetrench into the adjacent channel, and screws extending through the ends of the angle member into the longitudinal screw bores of the adjoining angle member;

(i) a vertical support pole extending through one of the relatively large apertures in the lower horizontal channel and extending upward to adjacent the upper horizontal channel;

(j) bracket means connecting the support pole to the horizontal channels; and

(k) diagonal sway braces aflixed at their ends to the cabinet structure.

16. For use in an outdoor sign having a display panel and electric illuminating means behind the panel, an elongate extruded skirt member for framing a panel edge comprising:

(a) first and second elongate flanges having a common longitudinal edge and defining an interior angle;

(b) an elongate leg plate coextensive in length with the first and second flanges and extending from the interior side of the first flange, said leg plate being spaced from said second flange for receiving the display panel therebetween;

(c) the leg plate having means at its free longitudinal edge defining a groove for receiving a self-tapping screw at any selected locationL along the length of the leg plate;

(d) a spacer plate secured to the free longitudinal edge of said leg plate by self-tapping screws threaded into said groove, the outer edge of the spacer plate engaging the inner face of the display panel;

(e) the second ange having a lip extending from its interior side to abut the other face of the display panel; and

(f) the spacer plate having elongate slots at spaced lolations along its length through which the self-tap ping screws extend, the slots being oriented so that the spacer plate may be adjustably secured to the leg plate to vary the gap between the outer edge of the spacer plate and the lip to thereby accommodate panels of different thicknesses.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

WINDHAM M. FRYE, RICHARD M. SHEER,

Assistant Examiners. 

